Controller-switch.



No. 664,I95. Patented Dec. I8,l |900. N. VANCE.

CONTROLLER SWITCH. "Application led July 23, 1900.) (No Modei.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 664,|95. Patented Dec. I8, |900.v

N. VANCE. CONTROLLER SWITCH.

Application filed July 23, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) I

am @Wwy Patented Dec. I8,l |900. N. VANCE.

CONTROLLER SWITCH.

(Application filed July 23, 1900.\

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

.y IIIIIIIIIWI nerwoams PETERS co UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

NOBLE VANCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE IIEWITT LINDSTROM MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CONTROLLER-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters Patent No. 664,195, dated December 1e, 190e.

Application filed July Z3', 1900. Serial No. 24,571. (No model.)

T0 cr/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, NOBLE VANCE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controller-Switches; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in electric switches or controllers especially designed for use in electrical automobiles for controlling or regulating the current transmitted from the battery to the motors by varying the voltage of the current.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts illustrated in the drawings, described with reference thereto, and hereinafter claimed.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the complete controller. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partlyin section. Fig. 3 isa sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. l. l Fig. iis an end view. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing ythe development of the cylinder-contacts and showing the connections thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6 6, Fig. 3. Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the manner of effecting the reversal of the direction of current. Figs. 9 and IO are details of the operating-cams.

A cylinder' o., preferably of wood, is provided with trunnion-plates b on its opposite ends, by which it is suspended from vand journaled in brackets c, which are connected by transverse bars, together forming a frame for the controller. To the surface of this cylinder Cl. is secured a series of circumferentially-ar ranged contacts I, II, III, IV,V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X, which are developed in Fig. 5. These contacts are preferably sections cut from a pipe or tube of proper diameter and of suitable conducting material, and opposite each series of contacts is a contact-shoe d, attached to a block e of insulating material, which is mounted on the end of a square bolt f, that plays through a guide-opening in a bar g, attached to the frame and lying parallel with the cylinder. The boltfis provided with adj usting-nuts on its outer end and is pressed inward by means of a spring h. (See 3.) Thus the shoes can move radially toward or from the cylinder a and make the best contact with the segments on the cylinder. Shoes d are connected by crimped copped bands 'i to binding screws or posts j, attached to the frame, as shown. Suitable electrical connections are made between the binding-posts] and the battery.

On the hub of one trunnion-plate l) are loosely placed toothed cam-disks 7e and Z, each of which, as shown, is provided with six cam projections, and these disks are placed reversely, so that their camteeth point in opposite directions. These disks are so loosely keyed to the trunnion Z) that each disk may have a rotary movement on said trunnion equal to the width of one of its cam-teeth before it is locked to the trunnion. The inner disk l is provided with a pin m, to which is connected one end of a G-spring In', the other end of which is attached to a pin o, which depends from disk 7i: and through a slot p in disk l. The disks l.; and l are also provided with nearly coincident slots q and r, through which passes a pin s, depending from the under side of a pinion t, which is also loosely mounted on the trunnion h exterior to the disk 7e and meshes with a segment u, which is keyed to a stub-shaft t, journaled in the frame and provided with a handle by which the segment can be turned. Loosely pivoted on this same stub-shaft t' is an arm w, which has its lower end bifurcated and bent inwardly toward the disks 7c and t, and in the bifurcations of this arm is a pin or roller r, which bears against the periphery of both cams and is held thereagainst by means of a stout flat spring y, attached to the frame and bearing against the arm q, as shown. The disks '/t and Zr, as stated, have independent limited movement on this cylinder shaft or trunnion l), limited by the arc of their enlarged keyways, and the disks are normally held by spring n in such position that the opposite ends of their keyways are pressed against the shaft-key.

The cylinder a, which carries the commutating-contacts, is shifted through the medium of the cam-disks in the following manner: If the pinion 15 is turned in either direction, the pin s thereon drives one of the camdisks 7e or Z, said pin traversing the slot in the IOO other disk, which is held stationary by tho radial face of its tooth bearing against the roller in arm fg. The cam on t-he driven disk forces the roller o@ outward, and at the same time the pin on the driven cam-disk compresses the circular spring n against the pin in the held cam-disk. When the driven camdisk has turned a distance measured by one tooth, the roller r will be forced outward clear of the tooth of the previously-held cam-disk, and the latter is quickly turned by the action of the spring n and the roller 0c, actuated by the arm o, and its spring y, operating on the next cam-tooth of the previously-held disk, assists the action of the spring n. The driven cam-disk turns freely on the cylinder-shaft, as the keyway is wider than the key adistance equal to one cam-tooth. The previously-held cam, therefore, as soon as released by roller turns rapidly a distance equal to one cam-tooth in the direction in which the pinion Was moved, carrying with it the cylinder a. Then the roller drops to the bottom of the cam-teeth, and the controller is again at rest, having been shifted one point'. This action may be repeated in either direction, the movement of the cylinder being limited by the full square tooth in each camdisk.

The commutation is effected in the usual manner of parallel, series parallel, and series grouping of the battery-cells by suitably electrically connecting the battery and controller in any well-known manner. The cylinder has three positions each way from a central or oft' position. Three of these positions give three speeds ahead and three give three reverse speeds, (back motion.) 'lhe reversal is accomplished by reversing the direction of current in iield relative to armature, as shown in Figs. 7 and S. This is accomplished by the arrangement of contacts on the cylinder so that no separate reversing-switch is required. When the lever stands upright, it is in off position, and the batteries can then be charged from that position in parallel sixty volts, or thirty cells to each bank. When the lever is moved forward to third position, the cells (sixty in number) can be charged in series one hundred and twenty volts.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new isl. ln a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of contacts thereon arranged in succession along the length of the cylinder, a series of contact-shoes one for and opposite each contact on the cylinder, the sliding bolts movable radially relatively to the cylinder carrying said contactshoes, the springs for pressing said contacts toward the cylinders, the binding-posts beside the bolts and the electrical connections between the shoes and the posts, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of contacts thereon, a series of bolts opposite the contacts of the cylinder, and springs for pressing said bolts inward, insulated blocks on the inner ends of said bolts, the contact-shoes carried by said blocks, the binding-posts, and exible electrical conductors connecting said bindingposts to said shoes, substantially as described.

3. ln a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of circumferentiallyarranged contacts thereon, a series of non-rotatable bolts opposite the contacts of the cyl* inder, and springs for pressing said bolts inward; with insulated blocks on the inner ends of said bolts, contact-shoes carried by said blocks, binding-posts beside the bolts, and iiexible electrical conductors connecting said binding-posts to said shoes, substantially as described.

et. In a controller or switch, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, and a pair of disks loosely mounted on one end of the cylinder having oppositely-disposed cam-teeth; a de vice adapted to engage the teeth of and lock said disks, and means for partially rotating either disk so as to cause said device to release the other disk, substantially as described.

5. In an electric controller, the combination of the rotatable cylinder, the series of contacts thereon and the series of cooperating contacts arranged on the frame; with a pair of disks loosely mounted on one end of the cylinder having` oppositely disposed camteeth, a spring'pressed arm carrying a roller or dog adapted to engage the teeth of and lock said disks, and means for partially rotating either disk so as to cause said arm to release the other disk, substantially as described.

G. In an electric controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a pair of disks loosely mounted on one end of the cylinder having oppositely-disposed cam-teeth, means for locking said disks, and means for par* tially rotating either disk so as to cause said device to release the other disk; with a spring connection between said disks whereby the locked disk is thrown forward when the movable disk causes the locking` device to release it, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an electric controller, the combination of the rotatable cylinder, the series of contacts thereon, and the series of coperating contacts arranged on the iframe; with a pair of disks loosely mounted on one end of the cylinder having oppositelydisposed camteeth, a spring-pressed arm carrying a roller or dog adapted to lock said disks, means for partially rotating either disk so as to cause said arm to release the other disk; and the spring connection between said disks whereby the locked disk is thrown forward when the movable disk forces the arm to release it.

S. lIn a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a pair of disks mounted on one end of the cylinder and having a partial rotary movement thereon, said disks having reversely-disposed cam teeth or projections ICO IIO

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on their peripheries, a spring connection between said disk whereby one is caused to follow up the other, a spring-pressed lever carrying a roller or dog adapted to engage both disks and normally lock the cylinder, and means for positively rotating one disk and thereby tensioning the spring connection between the disks and simultaneously causing the cam projection on the positively-actuated disk to disengage the roller or dog from the other disk, whereupon the spring causes the quick partial rotation of the cylinder, for the purpose and substantially as described.

9. In a controller, the combination of the rotatable cylinder, the pair of disks mounted on the end thereof so as to be capable of partial independent rotation thereon, said disks having oppositely-projecting cam -teeth, a spring connection between said disks whereby one is caused to follow up the other, a pinion loosely mounted beside the disks having a p'in projecting through slots in the disks whereby said pinion is caused to positively actuate one disk before operating the other, a device adapted to normally lock the disks, and means for rotating the pinion whereby one disk is positively turned, thereby tensioning the connecting-spring and simultaneously forcing the locking device out of engagement with the idle disk, whereupon the spring connection turns the idle disk the distance of one tooth thereby imparting a sudden corresponding partial rotation to the cylinder, su bstantially as and for the purpose described. l0. In a controller, the combination of the rotatable cylinder, a pair of disks mounted on the end thereof so as to be capable of partial independent rotation thereon, said disks having oppositely-projecting cam-teeth, a spring connection between said disks whereby one disk is caused` to follow up the other, and a spring-pressed lever beside the disks carrying a roller or dog on its innerend adapted to engage the cam projections of the disks and normally lock the cylinder; with a pinion beside thedisks having a pin projecting through slots in both disks, and means for rotating the pinion whereby one disk is positively turned, thereby tensioning the con,- necting-spring and simultaneously forcing the roller or dog out of engagement with the idle disk whereupon the spring connection turns the idle disk the distance of one tooth thereby imparting a sudden corresponding partial rotation to the cyl-inder, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

l1. In a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of contacts thereon, and a series of contact-shoes opposite the contacts of the cylinder and movable radially relatively thereto; with a pair of disks loosely mounted on the ends of the cylinder having oppositely-disposed cam-teeth, a device adapted to lock said disks, and means for partially rotating either disk so as to cause said device to release the other disk.

12. In a controller or switch, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of ci-rcumferentiallyarranged contacts thereon, and a series of contacts opposite the contacts of the cylinder and movable radially relatively to the cylinder; with a pair of disks loosely mounted on the ends of the cylinder having oppositely-disposed cam-teeth, the spring-pressed arm carrying a roller or dog adapted to engage the teeth of and lock said disk, and means for partially rotating either disk so as to cause said arm to release the other disk, for the purpose and substantially as described.

13. In a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, aseries of contacts thereon, a series of bolts opposite the contacts of the cylinder, the springs for pressing said bolts inward, the contact-shoes carried by said bolts, the binding-posts, and the flexible electrical conductors connecting said binding-posts to said brushes or shoes; with a pair of cam-disks mounted on one end of the cylinder, said disks having reversely-disposed cam teeth or projections on their peripheries, a spring connection between said disks whereby one is caused to follow up the other, a device adapted to engage both disks and normally lock the cylinder, and means for positively rotating one disk, thereby tensioning the spring connection between the disks and simultaneously causing the cam projection on the positively-actuated disk to disengage the locking device from the other disk, substantially as described.

11. In a controller, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a series of circumferentially-arranged contacts thereon, a series of bolts opposite the contacts of the cylinder, the springs for pressing said bolts inward, the contact-shoes carried by said bolts, the binding-posts and the flexible electrical conductors connecting said binding-posts to said shoes; with a pair of disks mounted on one end of the cylinder and having a partial rotary movement thereon, said disks having reversely-disposed cam teeth or projections on their peripheries, a spring connection between said disks whereby one is caused to follow up the other, a spring-pressed lever carrying a roller or dog adapted to engage both disks and normally lock the cylinder, and means for positively rotating one disk and thereby tensioning the spring connection between the disks and simultaneously causing a cam projection on the positively-actuated disk to disengage the roller or dog from the other disk, for the purpose and substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NOBLE VANCE. In presence of- CHARLES A. LINDsTRoM, W. H. WARVEL.

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